Byron Dorgan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Byron Dorgan
Official portrait, 2008
United States Senator from North Dakota
In office December 15, 1992 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Kent Conrad
Succeeded by	John Hoeven
Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	John McCain
Succeeded by	Daniel Akaka
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's at-large district
In office January 3, 1981 – December 14, 1992
Preceded by	Mark Andrews
Succeeded by	Earl Pomeroy
18th Tax Commissioner of North Dakota
In office March 31, 1969 – January 6, 1981
Governor	William Guy Art Link
Preceded by	Edwin Sjaasstad
Succeeded by	Kent Conrad
Personal details
Born	Byron Leslie Dorgan (1942-05-14) May 14, 1942 (age 83) Dickinson, North Dakota, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (D-NPL)
Spouse	Kimberly Olson
Children	4
Education	University of North Dakota (BS) University of Denver (MBA)
Signature

Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14, 1942) is an American author, businessman, and former politician. He represented North Dakota in the U.S. government for many years. He served as a U.S. Representative from 1981 to 1992. Later, he became a U.S. Senator from 1992 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

After leaving the Senate in 2011, Dorgan became a senior policy advisor for a law firm in Washington, D.C. He was an important leader in the Senate for 16 years. He served as the Assistant Democratic Floor Leader. He also chaired the Democratic Policy Committee and the Committee on Indian Affairs. Dorgan decided not to run for re-election in 2010.

Today, Dorgan is a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center. There, he works on energy policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University. He serves on several important boards, including the Board of Governors for Argonne National Laboratory. Dorgan is also a successful author. He has written five books, including two novels and a true story about a Native American girl.

Early Life and Education

Byron Dorgan was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, on May 14, 1942. He grew up in Regent, North Dakota. His family had roots from Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and Norway.

He finished high school in Regent. Then, he went to the University of North Dakota and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He later received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver. Before his political career, Dorgan worked in the aerospace industry. He worked for companies like Boeing and Martin-Marietta Corporation.

Starting in Politics

Dorgan began his public service career at just 26 years old. He was appointed North Dakota State Tax Commissioner. This made him the youngest person to hold such a high state office in North Dakota's history. He was re-elected to this position twice by large numbers of votes. A magazine called Washington Monthly even named him one of "Ten Outstanding State Officials" in the U.S.

In 1974, Dorgan tried to win a seat in Congress but was not successful. He tried again in 1980 and was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1981 to 1992, being re-elected five times.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Senate Elections

In 1992, the current Democratic Senator, Kent Conrad, decided not to run again. Dorgan ran for this seat and won. However, in September of that year, North Dakota's other Senator, Quentin Burdick, passed away. Kent Conrad then ran for and won the special election to fill that empty seat. Conrad took his new seat in 1992. Dorgan then took over Conrad's old seat a few weeks early.

Dorgan was re-elected to the Senate in 1998 and again in 2004.

Senate Work and Key Issues

As chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, Dorgan was a very influential Democrat in the Senate. He was known for his support of liberal ideas. He often spoke to national news outlets about important political topics.

He strongly opposed the U.S. trade ban against Cuba. He helped pass laws to allow food and medicine to be sold to Cuba. He also tried to end the ban on travel to Cuba. Dorgan often disagreed with trade agreements that he believed led to job losses in the U.S.

Leading on Energy Policy

Dorgan chaired the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. He was also a senior member of the Senate Energy Committee. He was an early supporter of renewable energy. He helped create tax credits for wind energy. He also pushed for a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to help grow the renewable fuels industry.

He also convinced the U.S. Geological Survey to study the amount of oil in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. This study found that there could be up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil in the area.

Leading on Aviation Policy

Dorgan also chaired the Aviation Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee. He worked a lot on issues related to air travel. He helped lead a project to improve how air traffic is controlled in the U.S. This project aimed to use GPS instead of radar for air traffic control.

Boosting Local Economy

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Dorgan helped bring money to North Dakota. He supported creating a "Red River Valley Research Corridor." This project aimed to bring new high-tech jobs to the region. It helped North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota attract new businesses. These businesses focused on areas like materials science and unmanned aviation.

Financial Regulation and the 2008 Crisis

As early as 1994, Dorgan warned about risky financial practices. He spoke about unregulated financial products called "derivatives." These played a big role in the 2007–2008 financial crisis. He wrote an article warning about the dangers of large banks making risky bets with these products.

In 1999, Dorgan continued to express concerns about the lack of rules for derivatives. He said, "We are moving towards greater risk. We must do something to address the regulation of hedge funds and especially derivatives in this country... That kind of risk overhanging the financial institutions of this country one day, with a thud, will wake everyone up."

Dorgan was one of only eight senators who voted against changing a law called the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999. He predicted that changing this law would lead to "future massive taxpayer bailouts." His words were remembered when the financial crisis hit years later.

Dorgan speaking in 2005

Other Senate Actions

In 2007, Dorgan strongly supported "net neutrality" laws. He believed these laws were important to keep the internet open and fair for everyone.

He also opposed a major immigration reform bill in 2007. He argued that its guest worker program would lower wages for American workers.

Dorgan tried three times to create a new committee. This committee would be like the "Truman Committee" from the 1940s. Its goal would be to find and stop waste and fraud in government contracts.

In 2009, Dorgan voted for an $838 billion economic stimulus package. This package aimed to help the economy during a difficult time.

On January 5, 2010, Dorgan announced he would not seek re-election. He said this decision was not because he was unhappy with his work. He also believed he could have won another term if he had run. He gave his farewell speech in the Senate on December 9, 2010.

Committee Roles

During his last years in the Senate (2009-2010), Dorgan served on several important committees:

• Committee on Appropriations (which decides how government money is spent)
  • Subcommittees: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy and Water Development (chairman), Interior, Transportation.
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • Subcommittees: Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security (chairman), Communications, Competitiveness, Consumer Protection, Surface Transportation.
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittees: Energy, National Parks, Water and Power.
• Committee on Indian Affairs (chairman)

Helping Native American Youth

After leaving the Senate, Dorgan started a non-profit group. This group helps Native American young people living on reservations. He used $1 million of his leftover campaign funds to create the Center for Native American Youth (CNAY). This center is part of the Aspen Institute.

CNAY works on important issues like preventing teen suicide. It also helps provide educational opportunities for Native American youth. Dorgan serves as the unpaid chairman of the CNAY Board. The center also has a "Champions of Change" program. This program recognizes amazing young Native Americans and helps them become mentors.

Personal Life

Byron Dorgan is married to Kimberly Olson. She used to work as an Executive Vice President and lobbyist. They have two children together, Brendon and Haley. From his first marriage, Dorgan has a son named Scott, who has two children. He also had a daughter named Shelly, who has passed away.

Books by Byron Dorgan

Nonfiction Books

• Electric Transmission Infrastructure and Investment Needs: Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate (editor). Diane Pub Co., 2003 ISBN: 0-7567-2997-1.
• Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics Are Selling Out America. Thomas Dunne Books (2006) ISBN: 0-312-35522-X. (This book became a New York Times Best Seller)
• Reckless!: How Debt, Deregulation, and Dark Money Nearly Bankrupted America (And How We Can Fix It!). Thomas Dunne Books (2009) ISBN: 0-312-38303-7.
• The Girl in the Photograph: The True Story of a Native American Child, Lost and Found in America. Thomas Dunne Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781250173645.

Fiction Books

• Blowout (with David Hagberg). Forge, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-7653-2737-6
• Gridlock (with David Hagberg). Forge, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-7653-2738-3

Electoral History

See Also

• 1986 United States Senate election in North Dakota
• 1992 United States Senate election in North Dakota
• 1998 United States Senate election in North Dakota
• 2004 United States Senate election in North Dakota